Billionaire vows to fight for the return of station manager

Gumede threatens boycott campaign

Mpumalanga-born billionaire Robert Gumede has promised to lead a campaign to boycott SABC’s Swati radio station Ligwalagwala FM if they do not reinstate suspended station manager Rio Mabunda.

Mabunda was suspended in July 2015 with events coordinator Mfanimpela Ndlala for allegedly misusing funds during the station’s birthday bash in Schoemansdal that year.

Ndlala was reinstated after he took the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Listener Manyovu Mnisi was charged after he and other listeners staged a protest against Mabunda’s suspension at the station’s buildings in Mbombela.

Gumede was celebrating his 54th birthday at KaNyamazane Stadium on Wednesday with more than 10 000 people when he called Mabunda on stage and said: “Where are you working?” Mabunda replied: “I am not working, I have been suspended.”

Gumede asked who suspended him and Mabunda said he was suspended by the regional general manager of the SABC (Quinton Lenyai).

“Rio started working for Ligwalagwala when it was Radio Swazi, he grew the station to where it is now ... and a regional manager who is not even from the province decides to take him out of work. We cannot tolerate this nonsense,” said Gumede.

“I promise that I will continue paying Rio’s legal fees to fight this and that of listener Mnisi. If they do not reinstate Mabunda we are willing to stage a campaign to boycott Ligwalagwala FM because we cannot deal with this nonsense,” he said.

SA Broadcasting Corporation spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told Sowetan that he cannot comment on what was said in the stadium. He however confirmed that Mabunda had been dismissed.

“The verdict of the disciplinary hearing for Mabunda came out last month and it was sent to him. He was dismissed and he has since appealed the decision, so I will not dwell much on that.”